Kohelethu 7
1 Nĩ kaba rĩĩtwa rĩega gũkĩra maguta marĩa manungi wega, na mũthenya wa gũkua gũkĩra mũthenya wa gũciarwo.
A good name is better than precious ointments: and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
2 Nĩ kaba gũthiĩ nyũmba ĩrĩ na macakaya gũkĩra gũthiĩ nyũmba ĩrĩ na ndĩa, nĩgũkorwo gĩkuũ nĩkĩo mũthia wa andũ othe; nao andũ arĩa marĩ muoyo nĩmakĩige ũndũ ũcio ngoro-inĩ ciao.
It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of feasting: for in that we are put in mind of the end of all, and the living thinketh what is to come.
3 Nĩ kaba kĩeha gũkĩra mĩtheko, tondũ gũtuka gĩthiithi nĩgũtũmaga ngoro yagĩre.
Anger is better than laughter: because by the sadness of the countenance the mind of the offender is corrected.
4 Ngoro cia andũ arĩa oogĩ irũmbũyagia nyũmba ĩrĩ na macakaya, no ngoro cia andũ arĩa akĩĩgu irũmbũyagia nyũmba ĩrĩ na ikeno.
The heart of the wise is where there is mourning, and the heart of fools where there is mirth.
5 Nĩ kaba kũigua irũithia rĩa mũndũ ũrĩa mũũgĩ, gũkĩra gũthikĩrĩria rwĩmbo rwa andũ arĩa akĩĩgu.
It is better to be rebuked by a wise man, than to be deceived by the flattery of fools.
6 O ta ũrĩa mĩigua ĩtũratũrĩkaga ĩrĩ rungu rwa nyũngũ, no taguo mĩtheko ya andũ arĩa akĩĩgu ĩtariĩ. Ũndũ ũyũ o naguo no wa tũhũ.
For as the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool: now this also is vanity.
7 Ũhinyanĩrĩria ũtũmaga mũndũ mũũgĩ akĩĩge, narĩo ihaki rĩgathũkia ngoro.
Oppression troubleth the wise, and shall destroy the strength of his heart.
8 Nĩ kaba kĩrĩkĩrĩro kĩa ũndũ gũkĩra kĩambĩrĩria kĩaguo, na gũkirĩrĩria nĩ kwega gũkĩra mwĩtĩĩo.
Better is the end of a speech than the beginning. Better is the patient man than the presumptuous.
9 Tigaga kũhiũha kũrakara na ngoro yaku, nĩ ũndũ marakara maikaraga ngoro-inĩ cia andũ arĩa akĩĩgu.
Be not quickly angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of a fool.
10 Ndũkoorie atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩatũmaga matukũ ma tene makorwo marĩ mega gũkĩra maya?” Nĩgũkorwo ti ũũgĩ kũũria ũguo.
Say not: What thinkest thou is the cause that former times were better than they are now? for this manner of question is foolish.
11 Ũũgĩ, o ta igai, nĩ mwega na nĩũteithagia arĩa marĩ muoyo.
Wisdom with riches is more profitable, and bringeth more advantage to them that see the sun.
12 Ũũgĩ nĩ mwĩgitio, o ta ũrĩa mbeeca irĩ mwĩgitio, no rĩrĩ, wega wa ũmenyi maũndũ nĩ ũyũ: atĩ ũũgĩ nĩũtũũragia ũrĩa ũrĩ naguo muoyo.
For as wisdom is a defence, so money is a defence: but learning and wisdom excel in this, that they give life to him that possesseth them.
13 Ta cũrania ũrĩa Ngai ekĩte: Kĩrĩa ogometie-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩhota gũkĩrũnga?
Consider the works of God, that no man can correct whom he hath despised.
14 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mahinda marĩ mega, kenaga; no rĩrĩ, rĩrĩa mahinda magũthũũkĩra, ũririkanage atĩrĩ: Ngai nĩwe ũtũmaga maũndũ macio meerĩ matwarane. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũndũ ndarĩ ũndũ angĩmenya wĩgiĩ mũtũũrĩre wake wa thuutha-inĩ.
In the good day enjoy good things, and beware beforehand of the evil day: for God hath made both the one and the other, that man may not find against him any just complaint.
15 Mũtũũrĩre-inĩ ũyũ wakwa wa tũhũ, nĩnyonete maũndũ maya meerĩ: mũndũ mũthingu no akue o na arĩ mũthingu, nake mũndũ mwaganu agatũũra muoyo ihinda iraaya o na arĩ mwaganu.
These things also I saw in the days of my vanity: A just man perisheth in his justice, and a wicked man liveth a long time in his wickedness.
16 Tiga gũthinga makĩria, o na kana kũũhĩga makĩria: ũkwenda kwĩniina nĩkĩ?
Be not over just: and be not more wise than is necessary, lest thou become stupid.
17 Tiga kwagana makĩria, kana gũkĩĩga: ũkwenda gũkua hĩndĩ yaku ĩtakinyĩte nĩkĩ?
Be not overmuch wicked: and be not foolish, lest thou die before thy time.
18 Nĩ wega kũrũmia ũndũ ũmwe, na ndũkarekie ũcio ũngĩ. Mũndũ ũrĩa mwĩtigĩri-Ngai nĩetheemaga maũndũ macio meerĩ.
It is good that thou shouldst hold up the just, yea and from him withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God, neglecteth nothing.
19 Ũũgĩ wĩkĩraga mũndũ mũũgĩ hinya, agakĩra aathani ikũmi marĩ itũũra-inĩ inene.
Wisdom hath strengthened the wise more than ten princes of the city.
20 Gũtirĩ mũndũ mũthingu gũkũ thĩ, ũrĩa wĩkaga o wega mũtheri na ndehagia.
For there is no just man upon earth, that doth good, and sinneth not.
21 Ndũgathikagĩrĩrie ũrĩa wothe andũ maraaria, tondũ wahota kũigua ndungata yaku ĩgĩkũruma:
But do not apply thy heart to all words that are spoken: lest perhaps thou hear thy servant reviling thee.
22 nĩgũkorwo ngoro-inĩ yaku nĩũũĩ atĩ mahinda maingĩ wee mwene wanaruma andũ arĩa angĩ.
For thy conscience knoweth that thou also hast often spoken evil of others.
23 Maũndũ macio mothe ndamatuĩririe na ũũgĩ, ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩnduĩte itua rĩa kũgĩa na ũũgĩ.” No rĩrĩ, ũndũ ũcio warĩ kũraya na niĩ.
I have tried all things in wisdom. I have said: I will be wise: and it departed farther from me,
24 O ũndũ ũrĩa wothe ũngĩtuĩka nĩguo, ũũgĩ-rĩ, nĩũraihĩrĩirie mũno na nĩmũhithe makĩria: nũũ ũngĩũmenya?
Much more than it was: it is a great depth, who shall find it out?
25 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩhũndũra meciiria makwa harĩ ũmenyi, na gũtuĩria, na kũmaatha ũũgĩ, na mũtabarĩre wa maũndũ na ndaũkĩrwo nĩ ũkĩĩgu wa waganu, na ũgũrũki wa ũrimũ.
I have surveyed all things with my mind, to know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason: and to know the wickedness of the fool, and the error of the imprudent:
26 Ningĩ ngĩona ũndũ mũrũrũ gũkĩra gĩkuũ, naguo nĩ mũndũ-wa-nja ũrĩa ũhaana ta mũtego, o ũrĩa ngoro yake ĩhaana mũtego wa kũgwatia, namo moko make makahaana ta mĩnyororo. Mũndũ ũrĩa ũkenagia Ngai nĩakehonokia harĩ mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio, no mũndũ ũrĩa mwĩhia nĩakagwatio nĩwe.
And I have found a woman more bitter than death, who is the hunter’s snare, and her heart is a net, and her hands are bands. He that pleaseth God shall escape from her: but he that is a sinner, shall be caught by her.
27 Mũrutani ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Ũndũ ũyũ nĩguo menyete: “Ngĩringithania ũndũ ũmwe na ũrĩa ũngĩ nĩguo menye mũtabarĩre wa maũndũ-rĩ,
Lo this have I found, said Ecclesiastes, weighing one thing after another, that I might find out the account,
28 o ngĩethaga ũguo na ndione-rĩ: Nĩndonire mũndũ mũrũme ũmwe mũrũngĩrĩru harĩ arũme ngiri, no ndionire mũndũ-wa-nja o na ũmwe mũrũngĩrĩru thĩinĩ wao othe.
Which yet my soul seeketh, and I have not found it. One man among a thousand I have found, a woman among them all I have not found.
29 Ũndũ ũyũ noguo nyonete: Ngai oombire mũndũ arĩ mũrũngĩrĩru, no andũ nĩmecarĩirie maũndũ maingĩ ma wara.”
Only this I have found, that God made man right, and he hath entangled himself with an infinity of questions. Who is as the wise man? and who hath known the resolution of the word?
